Switch-operating mechanism.



PATENTED 1130.12, 1905.

G. J. GURRAN.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

hwentoz' APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 14, 1905.

nN Tnn STATES PATEN OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed October 14, 1905. $erial No. 282,773.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE J. CURRAN, a

, citizen of the United States, residing at Plymouth, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch- Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to that class of street railway switches wherein the switch-point is moved to open or close the switch from an approaching car through contact of an operating-bar carried by the car, with operating devices located at a desired distance from the switch-point and operatively connected therewith by means of levers or their equivalents.

My invention contemplates a single vertically-movable operating-bar carried by the car, operating devices located at a distance from the switch-point and positioned in such relation to the rails of the main track of a railway that the operating-bar carried by the car will during the traverse of a guide-slot positioned midway between the rails of the main track actuate the switch-point-shifting devices, and hence the switch-point, to open or close the switch to cause the car to traverse the main line or be directed onto a siding or otherwise.

My invention involves devices wherein a four-point star-wheel is engaged and turned a half-revolution by a bifurcated shifting-bar depending from the car-platform and adapted to be operated therefrom, a disk, crank, or eccentric being mounted on the shaft carrying the star-wheel and connected with the point-rail or switch-point by a lever or system of levers, (according to the distance of the star-wheel from the switchpoint,) whereby the switch-point will be thrown from one extreme position of adjustment to the other at each actuation of the star-wheel. The starwheel is rigidly secured to a vertical spindle, suitably journaled, in, such position with relation to the rails of the main track that the arms or points of the wheel sweep through a longitudinal guide-channel midway between and parallel with the track-rails, whereby an actuating device or rod carried centrally on either platform of a car may contact therewith in either direction of travel of the car and turn the star-wheel a half-revolution, thereby completely throwing the switchpoint.

characters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in each of the views, Figure 1 is a plan view of a railwayjunction, showing, partly in dotted lines, the switchpoint and star-wheel and the connections between the star-wheel and switch-point. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the main rails of a railway or tramway, and B B the corresponding rails of a siding or branch. C denotes a switch-point pivoted at the end of the rail B of the siding, and D D designate guard-rails, these parts being positioned as usually employed in such relations.

At a suitable distance in advance of the switch-point and guard-rails-in other words, in advance of the switch properI employ a block 1, which may be a casting of a size to occupy the space between the rails A A of the main track.

It is to be understood that this improvement is applicable to suburban roads, wherein the track-rails are secured to wood or other sleepers or cross-ties, or to urban roads, wherein the rails are frequently carried by cast frames forming part of a conduit for an underground trolley. For the purposes of the present description, however, we will assume that the rails and other parts are carried by the usual cross-ties used in suburban construction.

The block 1 is rigidly secured to the crossties E and is of a thickness equaling the height of the rails, also rigidly spiked to the ties. The block is provided midway between the rails and parallel therewith with a guide slot or channel 2,'extending from end to end of the block, that end of the channel 2 remote from theswitch-point being flared to provide easy entrance to an operating-plunger carried by the car, notwithstanding the lateral swaying of the car. About midway of its length the block 1 is provided with an undercut or horizontal recess 3, communicating with the guide-channel 2 to receive a four-point starwheel 4:, rigidly mounted on a vertical spindle 5 in such position that the points of the starwheel will extend across or bridge the channel 2 when at right angles thereto. I prefer to form that part of the block 1 involving the horizontal recess 3 in two parts, as shown, the lower part being slightly higher than the bottom of the channel 2 and the upper part 1 being chambered or recessed, as shown, and bolted securely to the lower part; This ed by a link 11 with one end of a lever 12,

fulcrumed at 13 on a cross-tie, the opposite end of said lever 12 being connected by a link 14 with the switch-point C, as shown.

From the construction shown and described it will be seen that the block carrying the switch-point-operating devices may be readily located at greater or less distances from the switch, since the levers may be shorter or longer, being properly fulcrumed, or an additional lever may be interposed between the block and the switch-point. that the star-wheel is movable in either direction, so that no damage will result from depressing the operating-lever of a car going opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, though a car traveling in that direction needs no attention, as the flange of its wheel will properly set the switch-point. The guide-channel is to be so narrow that a carriage-wheel cannot enter therein to damage the points of the star-wheel, said points being, however, exposed that the wheel may be turned by an attendant without reference to the operating devices on the cars.

The operating devices comprise a springsupported plunger 15, passing through the car-platform to be depressed by the motorman into the guide-channel and into engagement with the star-wheel. The lower end of the plunger 15 is bifurcated to engage successively two of the teeth of the star-wheel, thereby turning it and the disk 6 a half-revolution and throwing the switch-point from one extreme of its movement to the other. Should the following car desire to go in the direction other than that for which the switch is set, the motorman by operating the plunger 15 on his acr actuates the star-wheel, thereby completing the revolution of the disk 6 and throwing the switch as desired.

It is understood that the connecting levers and links will be properly housed, as indi- It will be noted cated, to protect them from the weather or in jury from other causes, the top of the housing being removable to afford access to said connecting levers and links should it be neces sary. It will be also understood that in lieu of the disk 6 and wrist-pin 7the spindle may' be cranked below the block and the link 8 connected with said crank. This and'other mechanical equivalents are of course to be considered within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination with the rails and switchpoint of a railway-switch, a guide-channel located in advance of the switch, a vertical spindle carrying a four-point star-wheel bridging said channel and a crank or wrist pin. a plurality of levers fulcrumed between said spindle and the switch-point, and links connecting the spindle and switch-point to the outermost ends of the levers and the inner ends of the levers to each other.

2. In combination with the rails and switchpoint of a railway-switch, a guide-channel 10- cated in advance of the switch, a vertical spindle carrying a four-point star-wheel bridging said channel and a wrist-pin, a disk secured to the lower end of said spindle, a plurality of levers fulcrumed between said disk and the switch-point, and links connecting the spindle and switch-point to the outermost ends of the levers and the inner ends of the levers to each other.

3. In combination with the rails and switchpoint of a railway-switch, a housing located in advance of the switch and provided with a guide-channel, a vertical spindle carrying a four-point star-wheel bridging said channel, and a crank or wrist pin, said housing having the removable portion 1, a plurality of levers fulcrumed between said spindle and the switchpoint, and links connecting the spindle and switch-point to the outermost ends of the levers and the inner ends of the levers to each other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE J. CURRAN.

WVitnesses:

OLIVER E. HOWELL, JOHN L. JoNEs. 

